Europe's Toyota GT 86 Revealed

After nearly two years of waiting, Toyota finally reveals the production version of their FT-86 concept coupe.

Toyota's new lightweight sportscar will be unveiled this week at the Toyota Motor Show with the Subaru BRZ by its side, but the automaker's UK office have released some initial specs and the first official photos ahead of this. So, the car that's been two years in the public domain has finally broken away from its concept tag and officially become a production car. Built on an entirely new platform, the GT 86's highly aerodynamic bodyshell is powered by a compact, front-mounted petrol engine driving the rear wheels.

197hp and 151lb-ft of torque is generated by the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder 'boxer' unit, which with its compact four-seat design (4.2 meters in length), light weight (1180kg) and low center of gravity (475mm), results in a superb power-to-weight ratio. Toyota has added its D-4S injection technology to the new horizontally opposed, naturally aspirated engine for added power and torque, with power distributed to the rear wheels via a limited slip differential. A conventional six-speed manual with short-throw lever or auto transmission with standard steering wheel over-ride paddles drives the engine.

As for the design, the lower grille helps accentuate the powerful appearance and sporting details include model-specific 17-inch alloys, rear spoiler, twin exhausts and the '86' piston logo denoting the car's special powertrain configuration inspired by the Corolla GT AE86. No official times or prices have been released yet but these will come soon enough. In the US, the FT-86 concept is better known as the Scion FR-S and its near-identical twin the Subaru BRZ. The latter will debut in Tokyo and also in Detroit, which is where we expect the Scion to be revealed.